TAUPO SAFARI// By Mercia Paaymans
Friday morning, Anderson Park and a group off intrepid travellers already and organised to attempt the Napier- Taupo Crossing. This is when I picture us with packs, climbing ropes and crampons- sorry I digress. It was quite exciting.. ok so I was excited! We picked up our rally pack and attended the briefing then it was pedal to the metal! Safari Started!
Our Buick flew over the Highway in hot pursuit of a Vauxhall, which had also reached warp speed! Conditions were excellent for driving the busy roads, often swamped in campervans. Morning tea was a real treat as we all met up at the Rangataiki Tavern for a slab bang morning tea. It was fantastic- from November 2020
chicken tenders to carrot cake, a real feast! The pub had its own unique decor hunting paraphernalia and a wide range of underwear male and female (we all wanted to know how it got on top of the stags antlers but we were all too polite to ask.) I definitely suggest a stop here if you are passing the decor and food are memorable! We continued to the Waipahihi Reserve Botanical Gardens for lunch. This is a hidden gem in Taupo and it's another place I will return to as it has spectacular Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia plantings. Also FYI… You can drive around the 35 hectares and do walks into planted areas. Each area…. a unique spot with views of the mountains, lake and farm land.
We then continued over to Acacia Bay, Scenic Heights -where we visited Kevin’s Cadillac collection and American memorabilia. The beautiful red convertible was a highlight for many. Saturday- we drove through the verdant New Zealand countryside north of Taupo, up to the property of Pete and Yvonne. On the way we passed geothermal power plants, milk plants, geothermal glass houses,
